Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA accident near Emmett, Idaho, July 8, 2023
On July 8, 2023 at about 7:52 pm local time, a 2005 Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, registered N74778, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Emmett, Idaho. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The instructor’s failure to maintain airspeed during a simulated turning autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2023 · about 7:52 pm local time
- Place
- Emmett, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, built 2005 · all R22 BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N74778 · no longer on the register · serial 3968
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that he was demonstrating a turning autorotation to his student. The instructor entered the glide, turned, and kept the engine and rotor RPM gauges in the green arc, while maintaining an airspeed of about 55 knots. He increased the throttle setting and raised the collective lever as the helicopter descended through 200 ft AGL, however, the rotor RPMs fell below the green arc. The instructor made the decision to continue the autorotation with ground contact and applied aft cyclic to reduce the decent rate. The helicopter landed hard and nosed over onto its right side, resulting in substantial damage to the tailboom and tail rotor assembly. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
- Autorotation Hard landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 571.6 hours in all; 391.3 in this make and model; 228.8 in the last 90 days; 67.8 in the last 30 days; 523 as pilot in command; 359.5 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 27, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 70.4 hours in all; 70.4 in this make and model; 42.3 in the last 90 days; 17.1 in the last 30 days; 1.4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,283.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 14, 2023; 58.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 9,816 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KEUL Caldwell ID at 7:22 pm
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from KEUL, 9 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KEUL 081956Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM 31/11 A2987 RMK AO2 SLP090 T03110106 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on November 2, 2023. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Additional Statement from Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.